Calculating machine



Feb. 13, 1934. G, LERCH 1946,942

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed March 9. 1931 m i Y .....|nlllunnnmumn F15-'5-wwf/W A TTORNEY Patented 13, 1934 PATENT GFFICE CALCULATING MACHINEGustav Lerch, Oakland, Calif.,

assignor to Marchant Calculating Machine Company, a corporation ofCalifornia Application Miren 9, 1931. semi No. 521,011

2 claims. (cl. zas- 130) lhe invention relates to calculating machinesof the type embodying a rotatable actuator upon which the values to becalculated are set, rotation of the actuator being effected by a crankhandle which projects from the outside frame of the machine. The valuesadjusted on the actuator are transmitted upon the rotation of the crankhandle through intermediate gears to the numeral wheels of theaccumulating mechanism.I Mechanism is provided to positively lock theselecting mechanism in its adjusted position during rotation of theactuator. Calculating machines of this type are shown in the Britishpatent to Friden, Number 307,858 issued December 4th, 1923, to whichreference is made for a f locking mechanism for the selecting mechanismwhich will become effective upon rotation of the actuator from fullcycle position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking mechanism forthe selecting mechanism which will become effective upon rotation of theactuator from full cycle position and which will remain effective untilmanually released by the operator.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a locking mechanismfor the selecting mechanism which will remain effective at all timesduring successive rotations of the actuator and which is adapted to bemanually released when it is desired to set another value in saidactuator by mechanism independent of the `crank handle. Other objectswill appear as the description progresses.

'Ihe invention possesses a plurality of advantageous features, some ofwhich will be set forth at length in the following description, wherethat form of the invention which'has been selected for illustration inthe drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification,shall be outlined in full.

In said drawing one form of apparatus embodving the invention has beenshown, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited tothat particular form, since the invention, as set general type disclosedin the patent to Friden referred to above to which reference is herebymade for a disclosure of a complete calculating machine. Y

The machine comprises an actuator having ad- 6o justable elements intowhich the values to be calculated are introduced by any suitable means.and which are normally locked to retain any value set therein. Themachine also embodies a centralizing lever which is adapted to centerthe Figure 1 s a longitudinal section taken through 10 the actuatorshowing the means for locking the adjustable element of the actuatorsintheir adjusted position and the means for controlling said lockingmeans.

Figure 2 is a lateral section showing the drivu ing means and the meansfor manually disabling the selector locking mechanism. Figure 3 is adetail view of the means for resiliently latching the manual controlmember in either of its two positions. 00

Figure 4 is a detail of the means for centralizing the actuator in fullcycle position and of the latching means carried thereby for themanually controllable locking member.

The driving means, the selecting mechanism. s6

and the locking means therefor will be briey described insofar as isnecessary to an understanding of the invention and their relationthereto.

The actuating shaft 5 is driven from crankl 00 through shaft 2 journaledin the handle bracket and the side wall of the frame, gear 3 secured toshaft 2, and gear 4 secured to shaft 5. Loosely mounted on shaft 5 is aseries of disks 7 provided with levers 6 serving to adjust them to any05 desired position, there being one of these disks 7 for each order ofthe selecting mechanism. The manner in which the disk 'I serves todetermine the number to be transmitted to the numeral wheel is fullydisclosed in the patent to Friden 100 referred to above. Each disk 'i isprovided with a rack 8 which is engaged by a spring pressed dog 9. Theseries of dogs 9 are loosely mounted on a shaft 10, each of thembeingspring pressed into engagement by a compression spring 13 105 whichengages an arm 12 on eachdog y9 and the base plate. l

Mounted on shaft 10 is a comb 36 which serves to keep the dogs 9securely in alinement with their respective racks 8. On the right handend 11o of this comb is an arm 11 having a nose 15 and an extension 14,the purposeof which will be presently described. The nose 15 of arm 11is adapted to register with depression 22 in a cam disk 21 securelymounted on actuator shaft 5 when the actuator is in full cycle position.During rotation the periphery of cam disk 21 serves to hold comb 36rocked in its left hand position, said comb serving to hold the dogs 9in engagement with the racks 8, thereby locking disks 7 in theiradjusted positions; but when the actuator is in full cycle position, asshown in Figure 1, nose 15 of arm 11 is alined with depression 22.

Means are provided to normally maintain the locking assembly in lockingposition, the said means being manually adjustable to unlock theselecting mechanism and permit adjustment thereof.

Slidably mounted in the handle bracket and the side frame of the machineis a shaft 17 which is spring pressed to its right hand position bycompression spring 19. This shaft has a square end 20 which nts into acorresponding opening in the handle bracket so that shaft 17 is capableof lateral sliding movement only. On the left hand end of shaft 17 is adisk 16 which, in its normal position as shown in Figure 2, lies back ofextension 14 on arm 11 of the comb 36. This disk 16 serves to preventclockwise oscillation of the assembly mounted on shaft 10 and thus holdsthe dogs 9 in locking engagement with the selecting disks 7. Securelymounted on the shaft 17 is a handle 18 which is used to move `the shaft17 to the left, thus releasing the extension 14 from disk 16 andunlocking the disks 7 so that another adjustment thereof may be madewhen the operator so desires.

Means are provided to latch the lock controlling rod resiliently in bothoperative and inoperative position and to release this latch when theactuator is moved from full cycle position to insure the lockcontrolling rod moving to operative locking position.

Loosely mounted on shaft 10 is a lever 25 having a nose 26 adapted toengage a depression 24 in a cam disk 23 when the actuator is in fullcycle position. The lever 25 is held in engagement with cam disk 23 bymeans of a spring 38. Thus, on rotation of the actuator, the nose 26 oflever 25 will be cammed out of the depression 24 and engage theperiphery of disk 23. When the actuator. returns to full cycle positionnose 26 will enter depression 24 thus tending to centralize the actuatorin full cycle position. Pivotally mounted on lever 25 at 28 is a member27 having a knife edge 33 and an upwardly extending arm 31. Member 27 ismounted for a limited oscillating movement due to a pin and slotconnection 29, 30, with lever 25. It is held normally with the righthand end of slot 30 engaged with pin 29 due to compression spring 32mounted between arm 31 and lever 25. The knife edge 33 is adapted toengage with either of two V-notches 34, 35, provided in the shaft 17 asclearly shown in Figure 3. Knife edge 33 normally engages notch 34resiliently latchng the shaft 17 with disk 16 behind extension 14 of arm11, thus holding the dogs 9 in locking position. When shaft 17 is movedto the left knife edge 33 rides out of notch 34, enters notch 35 andwill latch shaft 17 with member 16 in inoperative position, permittingadjustment of disks 7. The operation of the mechanism is as follows.When a setting is to be made handle 18 is used to move shaft 17 to theleft. Knife edge 33 will latch the shaft in this position by engag ingnotch 35. The dogs 9 are held resiliently into engagement with racks 8by the spring 13 and upon movement of disks 7 will ride over the teethof said racks, since the nose 15 of arm 11 is in registering positionwith the depression 22 of cam disk 2l, and comb 36 is not locked by4disk. 16. Upon rotation of the crank, nose 26 of lever 25 will ride outof depression 24 moving 100 member 27 to the right and disengaging knifeedge 33 from notch 35 allowing spring 19 to move shaft 17 to the rightand carry member 16 behind extension 14 of arm 11 so that the lockingdogs 9=will be securely held in locking engage- 105 ment with the racks8 of the disks 7. When the actuator returns to full cycle position, nose26 of lever 25 will again engage depression 24 moving member 27 to theleft and its knife edge 33 into engagement with notch 34, thus latchingdisk 16 in its blocking position. This condition will 'obtain until itis desired to make another setting and shaft 17 is moved to the left bymeans of handle 18.

I claim:

1. In a calculating machine, having an actuator and settable selectorstherefor; latching means engaging therewith, a member spring urged intoblocking relation with said latching means, a manipulable element formoving said 12:) member into and out.of operative position, frictionalmeans for retaining said member in inoperative position, and meansoperable in time with the actuator for disabling said retaining means.

2. In a calculating machine, having an actuator and settable selectorstherefor; latching means engaging therewith, a member spring urged intoblocking relation with said latching means, means for retaining saidmember in its ineifective position, a manipulable element for movingsaid member into and out of its effective position, and means operablein time with .the actuator for disabling said retaining means.

GUSTAV LEREH.

